Hush Now, My Baby
by Leper Gnome
Summary: Awright, this is just a lil' MiriamAaron BONDING. Not incest.  Fuller explanation inside.


Hi everyone. See, I was inspired to write this because I was watching a favorite scene of mine from Prince of Egypt, the one where Moses meets Miriam and Aaron, his older siblings, for the first time. So once I had the idea, I wanted to make sure there was a category for this movie, and I was relieved that there was, because I don't know how new categories are put on...So, anyway, this will be the similar to Blackfire 18's fic, 'Son Drawn from the River', in the way that it'll write out a scene then expand it. Now, I think that's enough of an explanation...so here's the fic. xP

**Hush Now, My Baby**

Moses' jog out of the palace slowed to a stop as he caught sight of the woman leaving quickly with her camel. He raised an eyebrow briefly, then ran after her when she began to leave his sight.

When he finally saw her again in the Hebrews' housing area, he grinned as he pressed himself flat to the stone wall. She had just come to a well.

"Please...I need water. I've a long journey ahead of me." She spoke, panting slightly, to a man and woman who were at the well also. The tall, lanky man pulled up the bucket full of water, and the woman with him, his sister, Moses guessed, poured the life-giving liquid into the other woman's sack. "May God protect you," the Hebrew woman said as she finished filling the sack.

"Thank you." Still panting a little, the princess of another land mounted her camel and they both left. The Hebrew brother and sister saw her off where they stood, then turned back to the well. Moses ran a few steps ahead, then stopped and stared after the woman with a dreamy look.

Suddenly, he heard a crash to his left and felt a puddle of water spreading at his feet. He looked down and to the left, and saw the Hebrew woman already kneeling to gather the shattered pieces of a vase, though she was looking up at him as she did so. "Oh...ohh, I'm ss...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I—" she began haltingly, and her brother behind her chuckled nervously, forcedly. "Oh, please forgive me, I...I didn't...expect...to see...you...here...of all places, at-at-at-at-at our door..." the petite woman stuttered. Then she gave a sort of squeal, then picked up her speech again briefly. "At last!" then she rushed over to her brother.

"...At last?"

"Didn't I tell you, Aaron? Didn't I tell you? I _knew_ he would return to us when he was ready!" she exclaimed, shaking Aaron's shoulder, then hugging him around the middle.

Aaron, however, was staring with wide eyes at Moses, looking slightly afraid. "Miriam, do you want us flogged?" he asked his shorter sister out of the corner of his mouth.

She ignored him. "I _knew_ you cared about our freedom!" Miriam continued, the statement directed to Moses. "Miriam!" Aaron whispered warningly.

"Freedom? Why would I care about that?" Moses said, chuckling in that condescending way people do when they think they're talking to an idiot.

"Because you're--...well, you're our brother." Aaron gasped through his nose behind Miriam.

"What??" Moses said, appalled. Miriam started to say something, but it came out as an inaudible stutter. She then sighed deeply. Aaron breathed heavily but quietly behind her.

"They never told you?" Miriam asked, her eyes widening then narrowing in disbelief.

"Who never told me what?"

Miriam stared at Moses in shock. Then she blinked a few times and shook her head. "But you're here! Y-You _must_ know!" She made a move to grab his arm, but he pulled back. "Be careful, slave!" he warned, more surprised than angry.

"Oh...my good prince," Aaron began, grabbing Miriam's shoulders and pulling her a step away from Moses. "Um...she's-she's exhausted from the day's work." Miriam, who had still been staring at Moses, turned to look incredulously at Aaron. "Uh...not that it was too much...We...We quite enjoyed it," Aaron continued, nodding a little. Miriam's eyes widened at him. "But-But she's confused—" Aaron paused for a second as he grasped Miriam's wrist, then continued through clenched teeth, glaring at his sister. "—and knows not to whom she speaks."

"I know to whom I _speak_,_ Aaron_!" Miriam said angrily, yanking her hand away from Aaron, startling him into his previous, worried state. Then she pointed a finger at Moses. "I know who you are. And you are not a Prince of Egypt," she said, taking a small step toward Moses. Aaron muttered her name again, but to no avail.

"What did you say??" Moses demanded, finally starting to get angry.

"Your Highness, pay her no heed." Aaron said hastily, pushing his way in front of Miriam. Then he turned and gripped Miriam tightly by the shoulder. "C-Come, Miriam. May I discuss something with you?" he said, beginning to lead her away. Of course, he didn't get very far.

"No, Aaron! No!" Miriam grunted, pulling herself away from her brother again, but he kept a grip on her arm, trying to pull her away. "Please, Moses, you must believe!" Miriam persisted, at the same time trying to struggle away from Aaron.

"That's enough." Aaron said, trying to gain some kind of control over his stubborn sister.

"You were born of my mother, Yocheved!"

"Stop it!"

"You _are_ our brother!" Miriam exclaimed, freeing herself of Aaron's grasp and taking a few steps toward Moses.

"Now you go too far. You shall be punished!" Moses said sternly, pointing a threatening finger at Miriam.

"No!" Aaron threw himself at the ground at Moses' feet. "Please...uh...Your Highness. She's ill. She's very ill. We beg your forgiveness." Then he rose to his feet. "Please, Miriam, let-let us go." He started toward their small house, trying to pull Miriam with him.

"No, Aaron!" Miriam struggled again, and Aaron tried picking her up to carry her at his side. "Our mother set you adrift it a basket to save your life!!" she cried, the tone of her statement sounding almost accusatory to Moses.

Moses stared at her. "Save my life? From who?"

"Ask the man that you call 'Father'!" At that, Aaron relaxed his grip on her, waiting for Moses' response, somewhat fearfully.

Moses was silent in shock for a few seconds. "How _dare_ you?" he demanded, taking a few angry steps toward Miriam and Aaron.

"God saved you to be our deliverer."

"Enough of this!"

"And you _are_, Moses. You _are_ the deliverer." Aaron turned to the stone wall of their house, scared of what might become of his sister(and possibly himself).

"I said 'enough'!" Moses cried angrily, taking a tight hold on Miriam's wrist. He then twisted her arm painfully and threw her to the ground. Miriam's hair came undone as she turned her head to look up at Moses, pain and sadness in her eyes.

"You will regret this night." Moses said severely, bending down to point a finger in her face. He turned and began to walk away. Miriam groaned quietly, then slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, fingering her hurt arm gently. Her eyes closed as the tears welled up in her eyes, and she began to sing slowly and softly, half to comfort herself, and half to convince Moses of the truth.

"_Hush now, my baby._

_Be still, love...don't cry._

_Sleep as you're rocked by the stream..."_

As a soft wind began, Moses stopped walking. Aaron slowly turned to look at his sister.

"_Sleep and remember_

_My last lullaby..."_

Miriam hugged herself gently, and Moses turned slightly.

"_...So I'll be with you_

_When you dream."_

Miriam slowly looked up at Moses, tears falling, as he turned halfway to stare at her. Their eyes met, and Miriam smiled warmly. Moses, breathing heavily, glanced around for a moment before running away. He didn't see where he was going as he sprinted blindly, and knocked into an elderly man, who gasped in fear. Moses swiftly lifted himself up and off the man. Someone in the small crowd gathering said, "Did you see him? It's Moses!"

Moses continued running, through the village and to the palace.

**ooo**

Miriam stared after Moses, not completely registering that he was running away. When she did, she stood with difficulty. "Moses!...Moses, wait!" she cried, making a move to follow him. But Aaron grabbed her shoulders before she could start. "Miriam—"

"Aaron! Let go of me! You can stay here and hide, but I'm _not_ going to let Moses run away from us!"

"No, Miriam! We need to talk; _now_!"

Miriam knew she wouldn't get away from him with her arm so badly injured, so she let him guide her to the house, but she at least glared at the ground in front of them.

When they went inside, Aaron shut the door and then sat Miriam down in a chair beside a small table. He pulled up another chair and sat across from her. He lit the candle that was on the table, and the soft, orange glow illuminated their laps.

"Miriam, are you completely insane??" Aaron whispered loudly. Miriam opened her mouth to retaliate, but Aaron interrupted. "You can't just talk to a prince like that! Imagine what they'll do to us!"

"Aaron, Moses isn't the prince of Egypt; he's our brother and you know it! And so does he!"

"Oh, so you just think he'll accept that and go to the Pharaoh and say 'Hey, Dad, I just found out that I'm actually a Hebrew and I wanna go be a slave now!'? Is that what you think, Miriam??" Miriam didn't respond for a moment. When she did, it wasn't directly to that comment.

"He had to know, Aaron." she said softly.

"No, he didn't! And, least of all, you didn't have to tell him!"

"Who would? His 'family'?" she replied, using air quotes.

"Well, you know what? I'd rather you had just let them tell him, because then you wouldn't have gotten hurt like this!" Aaron said, grabbing Miriam's wrists. Miriam winced at his harsh contact to her tender arm. Aaron's expression softened almost immediately and he released her wrists, bowing his head so he wouldn't have to meet her eyes. "...I'm sorry, Miriam...I-I really am...I just forgot that—" He cut himself off, waiting for her to reply.

"I know, Aaron. It's okay...It's my fault; I shouldn't have been so reckless..." Miriam whispered, putting a hand gently on her injured arm. Aaron tried to think of what to say, to tell her that she wasn't reckless, but he couldn't, because, really, she was. That's why he sometimes wondered how they were related. While he was the more sensible one, always looking out for his sister and getting worried when she got out of line(like she often did), Miriam was used to acting on impulse and more often than not had to be 'rescued' by Aaron. But, although their personalities sharply contrasted, they usually manage to get along and found fun in similar things. At least, when they _could_ have fun. They had been fighting more often lately, because the stress of their slavery was finally getting to them, it seemed. Aaron would now go deeper into worry faster than before in certain situations, and Miriam tried rebelling more often, and very well may not have been there if Aaron was ever not there to save her.

As they both contemplated these things silently, they suddenly felt as if they could truly understand each other for the first time in...well, a long time. Miriam was the first to vocalize this. "Y'know, Aaron...I think I finally understand you. I don't know how, but...I do."

Aaron laughed lightly. "Yeah, Miriam...I understand you, too, for some reason. Though I'm not entirely sure that's a good thing." Miriam laughed and shoved him playfully.

"How about we just forget about this for right now? I mean, it won't get any better the more we think about it."

"I thought you'd never ask."

And so, the two siblings slept that night with light hearts, despite the recent events with Moses. And, in their dreams, both had their mother's voice singing her beautiful lullaby, because they just felt so serene. They both knew that, eventually, the worry would return, but they also knew that the serenity was sure to fill their hearts again after.

_Hush now, my baby,_

_Be still, love; don't cry._

_Sleep as you're rocked by the stream._

_Sleep and remember_

_My last lullaby_

_So I'll be with you when you dream..._

**xxxxx**

Wow. I'm not used to my fics taking a few hours. o.o This was fun, though. And sorry I put you through a whole chapter of the movie before adding my own stuff. It was just the only place I found appropriate to start. ; Anyway, R&R! D


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